Article of furniture



Patented Oct. 13, 1953 ARTICLE OF FURNITURE John V. Hadley, Kenilworth, England Application December 14, 1948, Serial No. 65,105 In Great Britain November 8, 1948 1 Claim. 1

This invention relates to a cupboard, dresser,.

cabinet or like article of furniture, such as is approximately of table height-i. e., approximately 2 6 high.

My main object is to provide associated parts whereby the article of furniture can, at will, be adapted to provide a table.

A further object is to provide the top of such a cupboard Or the like with a table portion hinged at one edge for movement about a vertical axis, the opposite edge of the table portion having a floorengaging leg for the support of the latter edge of the table portion when swung from above the cupboard or the like.

A further object is to provide a table portion having hinged to it a table part which in turn is hinged to a leg part, these latter parts being adapted to lie folded and flat upon the said table portion, or, alternatively, to be opened out so that said table portion and said table part will form a substantially continuous table surface supported at one end by the cupboard or the like, at the other end by the said leg part, and between the two by the said floor-engaging leg.

If desired, the said table portion and floorengaging leg may, instead of being hinged, for movement about a vertical axis, directly to the article of furniture, be hinged to a board, framework or the like adapted to be secured (for example, detachably, as by means of suction discs) upon the top of the article of furniture.

For an understanding of these and other objects and advantages of the invention attention may be directed to the following description, in which reference is made to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is an elevation of a cupboard adapted according to the invention,

Figure 2 is a plan thereof;

Figure 3 is a plan showing the said table portion and floor-engaging leg when the former has been swung through 90 from above the top of the cupboard;

Figure 4 is a perspective view corresponding to the view of Figure 3, but showing also the said table and leg parts in the process of being opened out from above the said table portion; and

Figure 5 is a fragmentary elevation, to a somewhat larger scale, of the said table portion and part when fully aligned with one another to provide a substantially continuous table surface.

In the drawings, the article is shown as being a cupboard l I having doors l2, l2 at the front 2 and at the top a recess l3 which is normally closed by the said table portion.

The latter is indicated at l5, being fast with a floor-engaging leg H5 at one edge, and it is pivotally mounted at I! (Figure 4) at one corner, adjacent an edge opposite to the floor-engaging leg, for movement about a vertical axis. When closed, as shown by Figures 1 and 2, the table portion I5 fits over the cupboard and the leg It lies alongside the adjacent side I8 of the cupboard, being screened from front view by means of a flap I9, on the leg, which, in the present instance, is adapted toartistically balance a corresponding portion 20 at the other side. The leg I6 may be provided with castors or the like, as will be well understood.

By arranging the pivot IT to be at the corner, as shown, the leg 16 can fit closely against the end wall ll! of the cupboard.

In the present instance the table portion 15 is hinged at 26 to what has previously been termed the table part 21, whilst at the free edge of the latter is hinged a leg part 28. The hinges are arranged so that the leg part can lie flat upon the table part 21 and the latter flat upon the table portion 15. The said table part has on its underside (which is uppermost when the parts are lying fiat as aforesaid) a strip 29 providing, with the leg portion 28, a smooth upper surface when the parts are folded. When opened out, as shown by Figure 5, the toggle 30 serves for retaining the leg part 28 at right-angles to the table part 21.

The latter is provided, on its edge remote from the table portion I5, with a handle or rail, as shown at 32. In a similar manner the leg l6 has a handle or rail 33.

What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

An article of furniture, such as a cupboard, of approximately table height, having on the top a table portion pivoted at one edge for movement about a vertical axis, the opposite edge of the table portion having fast therewith a floor-engaging leg for the support of said opposite edge when the table portion has been swung horizontally and outwardly from said article of furniture, and said opposite edge having hinged to it a table part which is hinged, in turn, to a leg part; the hinges of said table part and leg part permitting them to be folded flat upon said table portion or to be opened out so that said table portion and table part will form a substantially continuous table surface of which the major dimension exceeds the major dimension of said article 0! furniture and which is supported at one end by said article of furniture, at the References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PA'IENTS Number Name Date m 1,694,283 Reid Dec. 4, 1928 1,774,557 Kalgren Sept. 2, 1930 4 FOREIGN PATENTS Country Date Great Britain Mar. 1, 1890 Great Britain Dec. 10, 1936 France May 2, 1939 

